Sitzfleisch
Language: German · [ˈzɪtsˌflaɪʃ] · Pronunciation: ZITS-flysh
Pronunciation: Jeuwre · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Meaning
the ability to sit still until the job is done — sheer stamina
The story
German locates the virtue in the body: whoever can stay seated, wins. English borrowed the word whole; chess writers have leaned on sitzfleisch for decades when talent alone won't finish the job. The plain word underneath is stamina.
The four rounds
- Which language is it from?
- German
- Where would you hear it?
- In hour six of a chess match
- What does it literally say?
- Sit-flesh
- What does it mean?
- The patience to sit until the work is done
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